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Saturday, 24 August 2013

Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Bayern Muenchen and Mainz 05 won their three opening matches in the new season and are ahead of the field, leading with nine points. One goal separates Dortmund from Leverkusen and Bayern, while Mainz trails by two.

Borussia Dortmund vs SV Werder Bremen 1-0

Despite Borussia's overwhelming dominance over Bremen it wasn't until the second half that the Champions League finalists was able to get on the scoreboard. Robert Lewandowski scored in the 55th minute to earn the three points for Dortmund and secure its lead in the Bundesliga. Werder Bremen to its credit played a compact game in the defence and avoided a roll over. Dortmund managed to open the Bremen defence more often in the second half, but was unable to convert some excellent scoring opportunities. Despite the loss, Bremen remains in sixth spot.

FC Bayern Muenchen vs 1. FC Nuernberg 2-0

Another derby and another win for the men from southern Bavaria. The match wasn't without difficulty for Bayern though. Pep Guardiola opted to start Mario Goetze and Thiago for this match, leaving Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos on the bench. Bayern had difficulty cracking the Nuernberg defence in the first half and David Alaba, who normally is a sure bet for penalty kick, missed one in the 33rd minute. Thus the sides were scoreless at the half. Bayern continued its domination in the second half but it wasn't until Thomas Mueller came in for Thiago in the 62nd minute and Toni Kroos came on for Mario Goetze in the 68th that Bayern's fortunes improved. In the 69th minute Ribery put the European champion on the scoreboard and Arjen Robben put Bayern ahead 2-0 in the 78th. This leaves Bayern third place with one goal behind Dortmund in the top spot. Nuernberg moved to 11th spot.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2

In an exciting match Bayer Leverkusen went on to take its third victory in the new season. Right from the start Leverkusen took control and lead 2-0 by the 28th minute with goals by Kiessling (23rd) and Sam (28th). This is how the teams went into the half time break. Gladbach showed a breath of fresh air in the second half and got the equalizer by the 57th minute. Stranzl scored in the 54th minute and Arango tied the game in the 57th. After that it was mostly Leverkusen, which edged out more scoring opportunities. Sam scored the 3-2 at the 60 minute mark and Castro put Leverkusen ahead 4-2 in the 72nd minute. Leverkusen remains in second place, while Gladbach moved to tenth. Hannover 96 vs Schalke 04 2-1

Trouble keeps mounting for the Schalke side. The club that is vying for a spot in the Champions League dropped another three points and currently holds 14th spot in the league, a place they would not have envisioned to be in three weeks ago. Hannover was the dominating team in the first half and this was partly due to Hoewedes red card in the 14th minute. In fact Hannover which led with goals by Huszti (14th) and Diout (42nd) after the first half could have had a much higher lead. Schalke made a courageous attempt in the second half and Szalai made the score a respectable 2-1 in the 55th minute. Hannover was able to hang on an capture the three points and move into sixth spot. 1899 Hoffenheim vs SC Freiburg 3-3

Both teams approached the game with vigour. Sejad Salihovic scored the opener for Hoffenheim in the ninth, unfortunately it was also accompanied by a send off for overenthusiastic celebration. Despite the early lead, Freiburg wasn't phased and got the equalizer in the 13th minute with Oliver Sorg's goal. Kevin Volland again got the lead for Hoffenheim in the 25th minute. Karim Guede got the equalizer for Freiburg in the 29th for a 2-2 score at the half. The second half continued to be entertaining and Freis put Freiburg ahead for the first time in the game in the 65th minute. But once again Hoffenheim got the equalizer in the 77th minute when Strobl got a netter. Hoffenheim is currently in 7th spot and Freiburg earned its first point for the season and is in 13th spot.

Main 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg 2-0

Mainz is one of four teams that have now won all three games of the new season. Wolfsburg was the better team on the pitch unitl Choupo-Moting scored for Mainz in the 60th minute. This was followed by a second yellow card and a send off of former Bayern player Gustavo in the 64th minute. Mainz secured the 2-0 win in the 78th minute. This was a hard pill to swallow for Wolfsburg, which has now slipped to ninth spot. Mainz remains in fourth.

Hertha BSC Berlin vs Hamburger SV 1-0

In hard fought match, which boiled down to hard work, Berlin came out on top of Hamburg. Hamburg did not impress over all compared to the newly promoted club. Offense was far and in between and it wasn't until Ramos scored for Berlin in the 74th minute that Hamburg attempted a real push, which was too little to late. Hamburg has one point in three games and rests in 12th spot, while Berlin after three games with seven points occupies fifth.

Eintracht Braunschweig vs Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2

Frankfurt was the dominating side from the start and put pressure on Braunschweig throughout the match. During the first 45 the side was unable to convert opportunities into goals. A revitalized Frankfurt side came out in the second half and Alexander Meier, who has scored four of Frankfurts six competition games this season scored in the 52nd minute. Stefan Aigner netted in the 62nd, giving Frankfurt its first win this season. Frankfurt moves into 11th place, while Braunschweig is currently in 17th spot.

FC Augsburg vs VFB Stuttgart 2-1

Stuttgart lost their third match of the season and continues to linger at the bottom of the league. For Augsburg it was their first victory of the season, primarily due to it more vigorous engagement and quick counters. Altintop and Callston-Bracker scored for Augsburg in the 6th and 36th minute before Ibesivic narrowed the score to 2-1 just before the half in the 42nd minute. Augsburg started the second half as they finished the first and Stuttgart became shorthanded after Traore was send off on a direct red card in the 70th minute. The last 45 minutes belonged to Stuttgart, unfortunately it was too little too late.

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About Me

I am a retired military officer with 35 years service to my country.
I have lived or worked in every region in Canada, including the northern territories.
I am proud Canadian and Albertan. Interested in politics,military and veterans issues.
One of my hobbies is horses and have done some horse training and breeding over the past 25 years. While I still have six horses, I no longer breed and raise foals. Something to do with a few broken ribs from time to time.